habits of people with concealed depression

THEMS
4 min readOct 4, 2023

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People with concealed depression or hidden or masked depression put up a happy front and hide the fact they are fighting with inner demons. So, the symptoms of mental illness are not clearly visible in such people. But, there are some common habits of people with

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concealed depression that you should know to reach out to your loved ones. But, before discussing concealed depression habits you must know that hidden description is the outcome of cultures that highly supports the idea of hiding feelings of sadness and inadequacy. In such cultures displaying emotional trauma is often frowned upon and considered a sort of cultural taboo. Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in children and adolescents but often goes undetected and undiagnosed. On top of that social media is ruling our life to an extent that we don’t think beyond virtual relationships.

  • Without talking to your friends face-to-face, hugging them tightly, or looking into their eyes, it’s tough to decide what they are going through. Cool texting language with exciting emojis can help a person with depression hide all the pain and suffering. A smiley emoji doesn’t mean the person is really laughing out loud and having a happening life

we don’t come out of tech-driven connections, we will stop being able to understand each other. And those who are depressed don’t share about their mental state even with their closest companions. Only if you invest time in understanding people with concealed depression, they will reveal their scars and wounds to you. Else, in the long run, the world will become a dark place to live.

They may intentionally make efforts to appear happy. It is a misconception that all depressed people have a dreary personality. The social construction of depression deviates from the medical notion of illness. Moreover, the stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses has compelled people living with depression to pretend like everything’s okay and they have a happening life. Depression is characterized by a range of symptoms and is not just about feeling low or sad. So, those who are depressed tend to alter their facial expressions or mood and may come across as the most “happy” people that you know. They try hard to flaunt an optimistic attitude even when they are broken and feeling hopeless about life. This is one of the most common habits of people with concealed depression

They may have abandonment issues. Nothing can be more painful than your loved one walking out of your life. But, it hurts a person with depression more than a normal person. They are scarred for life and tend to bottle up emotions. Over time they become more and more secretive out of fear of the recession of those they love. They blame themselves and feel guilty for things not done and assume that they are terrible enough to be handled by someone they love. They withdraw themselves and make efforts to not be a burden to those closest to them.

They can be pros at “cover-up” stories. People with concealed depression come up with wonderful excuses for not attending a party last night, skipping biology classes, cuts on their wrists, not attending calls or replying to messages and so on – they can cook stories for anything. Depression hampers your work, relationships as well as the normalcy of daily life. Those with concealed depression avoid public attention considering the stereotypes and myths about depression that so-called modern society have. With hidden depression, expressing your pain to people and giving them a chance to put you down is a big NO. Hiding your state of mind and the things you are going through seems to be a better option.
4. They may have strange sleeping and eating habits. This is one of the common habits of people with concealed depression. They don’t open up themselves and make muted cries for help. They feel helpless, which has a profound impact on their sleeping and eating habits. They either sleep too much or too less. Either they lose appetite or indulge in binge eating. Depression creates an extreme lack of control, but sleep and diet are the two easiest options for depressed people to escape and avoid their negative, soul-sucking feelings
. 5. They may understand substances differently. Someone who is dealing with depression withdraws from people and refrains from seeking help, which leaves them with no option but to use self-help methods, which at times can be harmful. They understand that caffeine and sugar can lift their mood and help to cope with inner struggles. They interpret that alcohol and medication can ease their pain. Also, they are aware of which medications don’t work and that substance use only gives them temporary relief. But, they have no choice! They have to try harder to feel better, unlike most people.

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